George treacy stevens and william boss carruthers



(No Model.)

G. T.-STEVENS & W. R. OARRUTHERS FISH JOINT FOR RAILWAYS 0R TRAMWAYS.

No. 462,031. Patented 00t.27, 1891.

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fla 22W Jaw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE TREACY STEVENS AND WILLIAM ROSS OARRUTHERS, OF VELLINGTON, NEWVZEALAND.

FISH-JOINT FOR RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,031, dated October27, '1891.

Application filed April 23, 1891. $eria] No. 390,200. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

VENS and WILLIAM Ross OARRUTHERS, subjects of the Queen of GreatBritain, both of the city oflVellingtonJn the Colony of New Zealand,have invented a new and useful Fish-Joint for Railways, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in fishjoints for railways andtramways; and the objects of our improvements are to support the feet ofthe rails at or near their junction by transverse wedges passing throughwedge-shaped slots formed in a part of the fish-plates carried below therail and having travel parallel with the rail, and also firmly securingthese wedges by vertical keys or wedges working against shoulders in thetransverse wedges, whereby the said transverse wedges are tightenedagainstthe feet of the rails, tending to push the same upward, and soprevent the depression or wear of the top surface of the ends of therails. By these meansalso a joint is made by which the soles of therails and shoulders of the fish-plates become as one, thereby preventingone rail when receiving the weight from sinking lower than the other,and by this bracing of the sole of the rails with the shoulders of thefish-plates, if one rail sinks, so must the other, thus keeping the topof the rails on a level, which will prevent the knock at presentgenerally produced and practically making the line one continuous rail.\Ve attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of our improvedfish-joint. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a planof one of the transverse. wedges. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same.Fig. 5 is an end view.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A A are the ends of two ordinary railwayrails.

B B are the fish-plates having fish-plate bolts 13 B. These fish-platesare carried below the foot of rails, as shown, and in these parts areformed slot-holes B 15* square in form on the top and ends, but at thebottom forming two inclined planes B B 0 O are two transverse wedgesextending across and underneath the bottoms of the rails and resting onthe inclined planes B 13 D D are wedges or keys which are driven downbetween the wedges C O, and by preference in grooves C C. These wedgesor keys can be driven down from time to time by a hammer, and in beingso driven their points come into contact with the ribs 13*, by whichthey are turned, as at D, and securely held from returning.

It will be seen from this description of the several parts and byreference to the drawings that our invention consists of fish-platesbolted to the rails in the usual manner, but

which fish-plates are carried below the base of the rails and areprovided with wedgeshaped slots to receive wedges placed transverselyunder the feet of the rails, and that by means of vertical keys orwedges being driven down between the said transverse wedges the saidtransverse wedges are driven apart and up inclined planes at the sametime, and thus are brought to bear against the undersides of the rails,thus producing a tendency to raise the ends of the rails, binding thefish-plates firmly together, and by producing a tendency to raise theends of the rails prevent the wear of the same, which is found soobjectionable in ordinary fishplates.

Having fully described our invention, we wish it to be understood andthat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the UnitedStates, is

1. The combination, in a fish-joint for railways and tramways, of thefish-plates B B, having slot-holes B with transverse wedgepieces C,sliding on the inclined surfaces B and actuated by the wedges D, allsubstantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a fish-joint for railways and tramways, of thefish-plates B B, having slot-holes B with transverse wedgepieces 0,sliding on the inclined surfaces B and actuated by wedges D, secured byribs or proj ectionsB", all substantially as set forth.

GEORGE TREAOY STEVENS.

WILLIAM ROSS CARRUTHERS.

\Vitnesses':

LEONARD S. HUGHES,

W. E. HUGHES.

